Labels: ramblings

From the creative minds behind THE SHIELD and THE SOPRANOS comes this intense drama about an outlaw motorcycle club.

FIGHT CLUB is narrated by a lonely, unfulfilled young man (Edward Norton) who finds his only comfort in feigning terminal illness and attending disease support groups. Hopping from group to group, he encounters another pretender, or "tourist," the morose Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), who immediately gets under his skin.

However, while returning from a business trip, he meets a more intriguing character--the subversive Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). They become fast friends, bonding over a mutual disgust for corporate consumer-culture hypocrisy. Eventually, the two start Fight Club, which convenes in a bar basement where angry men get to vent their frustrations in brutal, bare-knuckle bouts.

Can you believe I just watched this for the first time yesterday? I don't know why I didn't before. Love Brad. Love Edward Norton. HBC is usually a hoot and she does not disappoint here. Violence doesn't bother me. Well, whatever the reason, I finally watched it and loved it too. And I know there's definitely a Tyler Durden living inside of me, just itching to come out and wreak some crazy havoc.

Reading: Shadowfever! Taking my time with it, because I'm sad to see Barrons (and oh yeah, that Mac chick) go. So far I'm really enjoying it, though I still feel a little lost as to what is going on, but it's actually fun not to know everything. I feel like I'm on a bit of a roller coaster with it, just waiting for the next sharp turn. I love when a book can do that to me.

What I'm listening to: Pink is one of my girl crushes, and I am totally grooving to her song "Raise Your Glass". This one goes up to 11 on the volume scale in my car. Hey any anthem for "dirty little freaks" has got my approval ;)

So...what are you up to, my pretties???

Labels: ramblings

I realize with a lot of stuff I've been talking about lately (mostly on Twitter), some of those who may have known me for longer are wondering..."what the hell?" Well, rest assured, I am still me, and most likely always will be. I'm still reserved, and quiet. Still love reading hot books, loud music, driving fast, vanilla iced coffee, Gerard Butler, taking naps, Supernatural, warm summer nights, the annual Get-Together, and blue-collar guys. I still hate onions, idiot drivers, Nascar on US99, (I'd rather watch racing than listen to it, dammit!), being cold, shopping (except online), flying (only like the destinations) and Monday mornings. Not much as changed.


But I'm definitely going through some stuff now that scares me a little too, but not in a bad way. Truly. I'm just not sitting at home wondering why my life is not what I want it to be, and by that I mean I'm not staying on the sidelines. I'm careful, not stupid, and I haven't even really "done" anything, but my life is in a rut, and I need to find a way to get out of it. So it's about a whole lot of stuff: work, friends, family, all of it. Nothing bad, just something different. So, for example, say, when my pals from the Ge-Together see me next summer, I won't be any different than I was before. And I wanted to say that not because I'm doing anything wrong, but because you guys have been there with me a damn long time, and if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have such special people in my life. I wouldn't have taken that first drive to Cincy 6, 7 years ago and met so many of my online friends. That is a very valuable and important part of who I am. But I also need to open up more, discover things, and it's a little scary in the sense that I'm doing it on my own, but I guess that's how you learn, right?


Thank you for being here, for seeing me through my little dramas *g*, and I will continue to post about books and movies and all the other things I do love so much. You guys rock :)

Labels: ramblings

Labels: ramblings

1. What I'm reading: a few things actually. Another Wedding Night, a Harlequin Blaze by Leslie Kelly, and "Passion Unleashed", the 3rd book in Larissa Ione's Demonica series.

2. What I'm watching: season 1 of Nip/Tuck. I watched it way back (2003) but now because of tweep Kitty Thomas, I want to watch it again.

3. What I'm eating: I'm addicted to Panda Express' Honey Walnut Shrimp.

4. What I'm drinking: Lipton's Brisk raspberry iced tea.

5. Who I'm crushing on: Andy Whitfield (of Spartacus fame - see Monday's post)

6. What I'm listening to: "Grow Old With You" from the Wedding Singer. Cracks me up and melts my heart all at the same time.

7. What I'm dreaming about: spring! And going on a cruise. Anyone wanna go?

8. What I'm doing: (hopefully) a booksigning for Joelle Charbonneau on Saturday.

9. What I'm saving my money for: an iPad. And a car. Need many more dollars for that one!

10. What I'm believing: that Karma will come back to bite you, so think twice before doing that really mean thing now, cuz yeah, it's unbelievably tempting now, but will the consequences be worth it later? Yes? Then okay, go ahead and do it! *g*

11. What I'm tired of: radio commercials during the new fall t.v. season. Hearing the same ad 5 times in 5 minutes is beyond irritating.

12. What I'm hoping for: happiness.

13. What I'm doing now (besides typing this post): tweeting and listening to Nickelback

14. What I hate about getting older so far: I've gotten so damn sensitive. Someone needs to smack me!

15. What I pray for: That all the people in my life who are hurting find something to take away the pain.

16. What I crave: um, yeah, THAT. Also Dove's Cherry Cordial Courtship ice cream.

17. What/who inspires me: selfless people

18. What amuses me: inappropriate and/or dirty jokes (I just saw "Hot Tub Time Machine" and loved it!)

19. What drives me: the fear of being homeless!

20. What I'm curious about: what's on YOUR mind?

Labels: ramblings

Labels: ramblings

• Shiloh Walker wrote an excellent post earlier this week about social media and how many authors, especially newer ones, are doing it wrong. I wholeheartedly agree with her post, and if you haven't gotten a chance to read it, here it is. Believe me, she nailed it.


• You still have a chance to win a copy of K.T. Grant's For The Love of Mollie. Just go here.


• My favorite martini bar is closing on Saturday, and I just found out last night, hence the overindulging. Nobody makes a Bella rose martini quite like this place. So sad to see it close :(


• Thank YOU for all the feedback about authors and websites and whatyouwhatyouwhat you want (sorry, that song is playing in my head, and it hurts). I haven't gotten a chance to read all the comments, but I fully intend to review them and pass them along. You guys are great :)


• If you guys haven't tried Groupon, I highly recommend it. I got a $55 gift certificate for about $20 to my favorite martini bar, and we used it last night, so it was totally worth it. I didn't have to pay anything to join, and it works. There's also Living Social Deals and Buy With Me. I haven't tried them yet, but it's the same concept. Love it.

Labels: ramblings

I gotta admit that I had a fantasic weekend! I wish they all could be this fun. But if they were, we probably wouldn't appreciate them as much, now would we?

First, I took Friday off to drive the 3 hours and 42 minutes Mapquest says it takes to get to Indianapolis, which I'm fairly used to since it's the same way I take to Cincinnati every June. I both love and hate the drive. I hate it because traffic out of Chicago, especially on a Friday, just sucks. And I have to get there like yesterday. I'm sure I've said it before, but I am one of those crazy drivers that tailgates and races past you if you get in my way. Sorry dude, but you asked for it. So yeah, I shaved about 1/2 hour off my time. Could have been more, but those damn semi trucks are EVOL.

Anyway, once I got there, I met Barb there at the hotel, and we learned what other "big" event was going on in town. A little thing called Fur Con, or more specifically, the Indy Fur Con. This seems to be at least an annual event, and it's, well, rather different. I asked a group of them what exactly it was all about, and one of them said it's about being people with animal (anthropomorphic) characteristics. It seems rather tame, considering that they were parading around the hotel, quite literally had a parade on Saturday in the lobby, however several people confirmed it's also considered a sex fetish, and there were times they would sit in clusters and pet each other. Yes, in public. I don't know what to make of it all, other than to say it was rather bizarre. I'm all for people living their own lives, but some of this might be a little too open in public. o_O Still, it was cute when they would pose with the kids, just like they were at Disney or something. That was sweet.

But the big attraction of my weekend was KEITH URBAN! Now I've been a fan for years, but this was the first time going to one of his concerts. For the price we paid, I figured we'd see him being about the size of a speck of sand, but they weren't bad seats at all. Row 37 in the stands, dead center. Not too shabby. It was at the Indiana state fair, and it was HOT. I was dripping, that's how humid and crowded we all were. Yet I was there with my pals Barb, LuAnn, Dianne Daphne and Deb, and we survived. And you know what, that's okay. Because Keith put on one HELL of a show. He was fantastic. Loved every minute of it. And I especially got a kick out of how he'd have us sing some silly verse and just start laughing because we'd do it. He was like a little kid. So cute :) He did "talk" to Nicole, who supposedly was on the sidelines, but we didn't actually see her. That would have been cool. I do like them together.

Other than that, my only other news is that I am incredibly hooked, addicted, completely and irrevocably in love with this character named Terrible!

For those of you in the dark, Terrible is this guy in Stacia Kane's DOWNSIDE GHOSTS series. Now I read all the tweets on Twitter, and say all the mushy talk and longing for this guy, but I didn't think it could possibly be all that great. Boy was I ever WRONG! Terrible is so not your typical hero. He's quite ugly (at least that's how Stacia writes him), big, hulking, terrifying. But then, like Chess, you really get to know him and it's his heart you fall for, and his looks are no longer ugly to you. He's loyal, fearless, earthy, practical, clever, and so damn strong it makes your heart race. Or as Shiloh Walker would say, "he's one sexy beast". And he truly is. He's a hero, through and through. An unlikely one, but also an unforgettable one.

I'm not ashamed to admit I've got Terrible fever. In fact I'll probably need to get a new set of books because I've re-read so many parts of these 3 already. Numerous times. I will probably got and write a review on the series at some point, once I can put them down long enough to actually write something coherent. So for now I'll wallow in my Terrible love, and give sincere thanks to that creative goddess Stacia who created this magnificent man to begin with!

Do you have the fever?

Labels: ramblings, Terrible fever

On reviews:

• Status: stalled. I have been in a severe reviewer slump for the last 2 or 3 weeks, and it's putting me into a bit of a panic. I've read some really good books I want to review, but the well has run dry. I don't know how to get the juices flowing again. It's driving me kinda crazy. I haven't had a problem finding good books to read (in fact I've ordered probably 12 books from B&N in the last month) it's that I've had a problem talking about them. I think I bore myself when I write up reviews, so I just don't have the desire right now, and that is a shame. There are so many fantastic authors out there whose books should be talked about. And I'm failing miserably.

On YouTube:

Status: addicted. Once again, thanx to those "bad influences" over on Twitter, I have recently become addicted to watching old clips from some of my favorite soap operas: Santa Barbara, Sunset Beach, Another World, Days of Our Lives. I'm hooked on Cruz & Eden from SB, Father Antonio & Gabi from SB, Dean & Jenna from AW, and Jack & Jennifer from DooL. These were the soaps I watched back in the day during those melodramatic teen years, and I find that they still have a hold over me. (Guilty pleasure: "Song for Jenna" by Dean. I just can't help myself, I'm hooked on this cheesy, mediocre song. Plus I had a mega crazy crush on Ricky Paull Goldin back then, and he's still a cutie in the clips, despite the outdated hairstyle - it was 1991/1992 after all. And I wanted to be Jenna sooooo bad!). Please tell me I'm not the only one who's done something like this. Please.

On reading:

Status: slow and steady. Things are going very well with my reading, and I've for the most part really been enjoying the books I've been indulging in. I finished book #3 in the Mercy Thompson series, and now have been enjoying, for the most part, Erin McCarthy's Hot Finish. The Suzanne I loved so much in the first 2 books is not so great right now. In fact I'm rather irritated with her, and think Ryder should go find someone else who will actually appreciate him more. However I'm still reading, so there's always a chance someone will be redeemed in my eyes.

On food:

• Status: consuming. My "new" favorite thing right now is chocolate ice cream. I've never been the biggest fan of ice cream, but lately I love it, and have to have at least a small scoop everyday. Of course that's my calcium intake, so in my mind, I'm doing nothing wrong. And I get the added benefit of chocolate. See, it's all good.

On Josh Bernstein:

• Status: unavailable! *sob* My love has gone and got himself engaged. Imagine my complete and utter heartbreak to see this tweet from July 12th: "Great news! Happy to report that my girlfriend and I got engaged over the weekend! We're both ecstatic." Total sadness. I could say the only reason he and I aren't together is only because because he hasn't met me yet but actually, he has. Obviously I was the only one who felt the connection at day 3 1/2 years ago when he was in town for a booksigning. (To contribute to one of Josh's causes, actually you can click here).

On t.v./movies:

• Status: enjoying. I've recently completed season 2 of House and part 1 of season 3 of Entourage (what is that all about anyway? Why does a season need more than one part when there are only so many episodes to begin with?) I always forget how much I really like a show until I start watching it again. This is especially true of Entourage. I think why do I bother, but then I push play and I'm all caught up in the drama, the raunchiness, the humor, the stupid situations these guys get themselves into. I'm not hot for any of the characters - even Adrian Grenier is just meh to me - but it's funny, and dirty, and silly, and about a world I know absolutely nothing about. Pure, mindless fun. I love it.

On bad days:

• Status: I have them. The last two days I've had a few crazy things happen. There was the attempted break-in into my house yesterday (Tuesday) morning, where I was woken up by the police. As you can imagine, it freaked me out while being complete surreal at the same time. It's not how it is on t.v., but then it is. When it happens to you, your fist thought - at least in my case - is not that I'd take down anyone who tried to rob me, but that I want to get the hell away from here as soon as possible. I ended up going to work because I'm not good at moping around during times like that, and it helped. I thought I'd have trouble sleeping last night, but nope, not a bit. Then I get a call from the credit card company about fraudulent charges on my account. No biggie (I work for a credit union so I know the drill), but it was just funny, considering what happened earlier in the day. It kinda sucked to be me.

On contests:

• Status: unresponsive. The last few contests I've had lately, I've had a heck of a time getting in touch with the winners. Twice now, despite my efforts to contact the person, I haven't had any success. I eventually picked a new winner for the copy of Twice Bitten (I'll try to get that book out this week!) and the winner of the movie prize never responded, so I'll be picking another winner for that one as well. It throws me off my game. And I (hopefully) have some fun contests coming up, so I hope people want the swag.

That's all I got for now. Hopefully things are going well in your world. Missing everyone who went to RWA, but I can't say I'm regretting not going to Florida in July. Still, it would have been awesome to be there. I've never been to Disney World, so that in itself would have been a blast.

How are things with you?

Labels: ramblings

***Look at the pretties! These were in my mailbox when I got home last night *pets*. I am so excited to read Hot Finish so I can finally read Ryder's and Suz's story. I'm sure it's gonna be HOT! And I'm also excited about the novella, though I've already read part of the story already. I'm falling in love with werewolves....

****

Labels: ramblings

I'm feelin' a little fiesty today ;)

Labels: ramblings

Here is the final collection of pennies. So far the total hasn't been tallied (I just took this picture) but hopefully next week we will find out. These are pretty big jars, and they're very heavy, so I hope the $$ count is fairly high. Thank you again to those of you who sent me pennies. Y'all gonna make me cry for being so sweet.

That's about it for now. Tonight me and my coworkers are going to go and ruin the week-long healthy eating marathon we've been on, and I sooo cannot wait *g*

Any big weekend plans?

Labels: ramblings

What would you recommend to see/stay away from?

Labels: ramblings

Then we have David Boreanaz cheating on his wife. I'm not going to spend a lot of time talking about this, and it's rather sad that this didn't surprise me in the slightest. I find these celebrities to be complete morons for not thinking they were going to get caught, and no, I don't give him ANY credit for telling his wife before announcing it to the world. He knew it was gonna blow up in his face and he was just trying to prevent a fall-out "ala Jesse James". I think after awhile with all the women that throw themselves at these celebrities they have a certain sense of entitlement and take it as one of the "benefits" of living in the public eye. Not. Buying. It. I feel bad for his wife and kids. He can go piss off.

Big shout-out to my gal Bells for talking up JA Saare. Later this month I'll be posting an interview with JA and having a contest for a copy of "Dead, Undead or Somewhere In Between". I'll tell ya right now you're gonna love Rhiannon. She rocks it, and Disco is pretty damn fine as well ;)



I'm participating in the Chloe Neill blog tour, so mark your calendars for June 29th, for fun, surprises, and giveaways :) Chloe will be doing an interview with me, so I've gotta get crackin' on those questions.

And now for my latest guilty pleasure: viewing sensual pics that have been Tweeted on Twitter. Some of them are pretty raunchy and explicit, but the subtle, sexy, provocative, ones are my favorites. Here is an example of what I've been enjoying. I think they are a lovely visual of the sexy books I read, and okay, they're hot. I don't mind admitting that. I must sound like such a voyeur. Okay I am. But I also like seeing beautiful, enticing imagery. So sue me ;)

What's going on in YOUR world?

Labels: ramblings

Crazy, crazy world out there. While we got snow in our area yesterday, it was probably only around 8 inches (I'm too lazy to look it up), which is nothing to us that live in the midwest. Yeah, it's a pain in the ass, but it's managable. No excuse not to show up to work though, unfortunately. Now it's cold, and drifting, but the worst seems to be over. For now.

However what was really interesting was that there was a 3.8 earthquake that rumbled this morning around 4am, and yes, it did wake me up. Me, who can usually sleep through anything, was jolted awake wondering if the roof caved in. The last one we had, in April of 2008. was registered at a magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter Scale. Fortunately there was no damage or injuries in my world, so back to our regular scheduled programming.

No, the main focus of my attention recently has been the misfortune of losing my phone. I learned the hard way that Apple does not provide insurance for the iPhone, and it is NOT cheap to get a new one. While I received great service and got a lot of assistance getting back as much of the info I had on my lost phone transferred to the new phone, it was still painful. The funny thing is, as my co-worker mentioned, how I agonized over getting a new phone and that I never splurge on anything really expensive. Then I get a fancy phone and I lose it 3 months later. It was more a case of someone taking it, I believe, because I know where I lost it and even went back the next day to try and find it, but no such luck. To the bastard that took it, I hope you get yours LOL.

And then we have Valentine's Day coming up this weekend. As a single woman, I admit to a twinge every year around this time, but this year it seems to be a little stronger than normal. Part of me thinks it's the long winter and stress, but there's the romantic in me that would love to have a cute boyfriend to share it with. I'm thinking God must have someone really special in mind for me to have me wait for so long LOL. I have to admit, I'm getting rather impatient.

But since the is no guy in my life to cuddle with this weekend, Valentine's Day is going to be a celebration of a different sort this year. It's called....D-DAY! (aka Dean Day). Several of us on Twitter are huge fans of the show "Supernatural", and most especially of one of the main characters, Dean Winchester, played so brilliantly by Jensen Ackles, and we decided to host Dean Day on Valentine's Day. And let me tell you, it's been fun working on my post. I cannot wait to see what the other ladies conjure up, all for the love of Dean ;)

So if you're not too busy on Sunday with your honey, or maybe you are a big fan of Dean and/or the show, be sure to stop by and see what kinds of treats we have in store for you. I know I'll be making the rounds and enjoying the various pictures and posts.

So, what's going on in YOUR world?

Labels: ramblings

Well, I know you guys are going to miss me while I'm away, LOL, so hence the weekend blog post. As you read this, I'll be in Arizona with about 70 of my coworkers taking part in a team-building experience. Yes, that's how I like to spend my 3-day weekends. But hey, it's Arizona in January, so really, it's not the worst thing in the world.

Labels: ramblings

I hope to see you there this year. I'm so looking forward to another fun event. I already know a few people won't be attending (Kati! *sob*) but I hope many of you will be able to. June sounds pretty good right about now.

*****

Just to clarify about my blog anniversary contest: there were only 4 winners: PJ, Maureen, Liza and maered. Someone thought because their name was on the list that they were a winner, but what I did was include all the names that posted who wanted to be entered in the contest. I hope that clears up any confusion, and I apologize if anyone else thought the same.

Oh, and just in case anyone was wondering, I do make my contests available to anyone who can receive mail, and out of these 4 winners, 1 of them was actually from another country, so yes, I practice what I preach LOL. To the winners: prizes have not gone out yet, but I hope to work on that this week. I have a business trip coming up so I've been a bit busy. But I promise you will not be forgotten.

****

SPRING FLING
WRITERS' CONFERENCE

April 23 - 24, 2010
Deerfield, IL


Saturday, April 24, 2010
4:30 - 6:00 pm

Open to the Public


Meet your favorite authors and get copies of their latest releases!

Here's the current list of wonderful authors who'll be in attendance:

CHERRY ADAIR

LAURA MOORE
MARILYN BRANT

ANNEMARIE ORTEGA
LAURIE BROWN

JENNA PETERSEN
LYDIA DARE

JULIA QUINN
BLYTHE GIFFORD

ABIGAIL REYNOLDS
ELIZABETH HOYT

ERICA RIDLEY
JULIE JAMES

DEBRA ST. JOHN
MARGOT JUSTES

JAN SCARBROUGH
BETH KERY

JUNE SPROAT
JADE LEE

ANGIE STANTON
LINDSAY LONGFORD

JENNIFER STEVENSON
ANN MACELA

KAY STOCKHAM
MYRNA MACKENZIE

KIMBERLY SULLIVAN
KELLY MAHER

MARGARET WATSON
MORGAN MANDEL

PAT WHITE
COURTNEY MILAN

More authors are signing up every day,
so check back soon!

What's going on in your world?

Labels: Chicago Spring Fling, get-together, ramblings

As this is being posted, I am currently on my way to Florida for a business trip, and this is the area where I'll be. I'm excited because the weather has to be at least 30 to 40 degrees warmer than where I live, so that in itself is a good thing. I'll be back Thursday night sometime.

While I'm away, I won't have much (if any) internet access as I'm leaving the laptop at home. I have my phone, but blogging from that seems too much like work, so I'm not ignoring you, I'm just limited on resources. Any contests I'm running prior to leaving will be finalized when I return (you know me....world's biggest procrastinator!)

Speaking of contests, I did want to answer a question Marisa had asked me about "The Ugly Truth" in my contest post and why it was one of my favorite movies of 2009. Well, I saw several movies (and there are some I have yet to see before the year is up, i.e. "The Blind Side) but this movie, which is very politically incorrect and derogatory and raunchy, just hit the right tone with me at the time. I really liked it. It's not a piece of cinema brilliance, but after seeing so many "meh" movies that didn't register much after I left the theatre, this one I just plain enjoyed. It wasn't perfect by any means, and the whole "anal, prissy, uptight" female lead is beyond old, but whatever. Some cliche's can be really entertaining, and this one was.

I am feeling a little stressed out because for as long as I've been blogging, I still enjoy the process, and hate that I won't have time to devote to it this week. I tried to get some worked before I left, so those are in the works, but the following week might be sparse. I know, why should I worry about something so silly, right? I just do. I get to make myself the focus and talk about all the things I love (or think about, or rant over) and I have the floor all to myself, even if no one is listening. The biggest of course being my love of romances (and all the genres and subgenres). It's one part of my life that none of my real life friends share, and that makes it really lonely sometimes LOL. I want to tell my coworkers all about Jeaniene Frost or Lisa Kleypas or Ann Aguirre, and none of them get it. It's no fun gushing alone. So my blog (and Twitter) suffers the consequences *g* I do so adore my online friends :)

Holiday stuff: I'm pretty much done, and I cut back soooo much this year. I elected not to write Christmas cards, except for some to the troops. That's it. Well, my parents too. It's so weird because I LOVE sending out Christmas cards. This year, I just wasn't feeling it. So rather than force myself, I decided not to bother. I'm hoping next year I'll be back on track.

That's about it, without getting maudlin. The holidays are a time I always feel a little sad while also getting a little swept up in the magic of it all. I still remember the feeling I had when I believed in Santa Claus, and it's stayed with me all these years, which is why it's still magical. And I'm so grateful for all the blessings I have. I really am very, very lucky. Sure there are things I wish that were different, but I'm not going to concentrate on that. I'm going to remember all what I do have, not least of which is a TBR pile that will keep me busy for the rest of my life LOL.

So off I go! I've got several books with me, including book #2 & 3 of the Twilight series, A Shannon K. Butcher book, and perhaps Devon Monk's first in her series. I am easily distracted while out of town, and I will be with several coworkers, so I'm saving #3 & #4 of Frost's books to savor for when I return. I'll miss you guys, and can't wait to hear about all the amazing books you're reading and pimpin'. Catch ya soon.......

Labels: contests, ramblings, travel

Sunday was a lot of fun, as I trekked into the city to meet up with some friends at the Drake Hotel for afternoon tea, something I've never been before. The weather was so nice - almost 70 degrees in November - and the train ride was smooth and quick. Grabbed a taxi the rest of the way there which took a few minutes. I love taxi cab drivers. They get to where you need to go, and fast. And while I waited, I did try to take some pictures on my new phone, but I only saved one. I'll need to figure out a way to make them bigger....

Now I've made no secret that I'm not much of a tea drinker, or at least I wasn't much of one until about a few years ago when I stepped inside Teavana to buy a gift, and tasted the most wonderful tea I'd ever could have imagined. It was a combination of 2 different teas, the kinds of which escapes me at the moment, but it was an amazing blend. Anyway, each of us got to choose our own tea, which they brought out in individual teapots for us, and I went with a caffeine-free blend, the chocolate mint truffle, which was very good, not too strong and not too sweet. I would definitely have that one again.

We sat right next to the harp player, which I really liked. I didn't think she was too loud, though some of her musical selections had us cringing. Still, it's a beautiful instrument, and if you didn't listen to closely, very enjoyable to listen to while sipping tea and eating cucumber sandwiches. It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

Tomorrow I'm meeting up with an online friend I've never met before - Danielle. She lives not all that far from me, but this is our first opportunity to get together, and I'm really looking forward to it :) I think I will take my regular camera and use that instead of my phone, which I still have to master. I hope to have some good pictures to post. Danielle's been warned LOL.

I am just about to finish the 7th and final season of The Gilmore Girls; 2 more episodes left. All in all, I liked it way more than I thought I would. It was a pleasant surprise. Now I'm going to try and clear out my Netflix queue before asking for more viewing selections. I have about 70 dvds in there, some movies, mostly t.v. shows, so I hope to whip through those more finding more new shows to love. Do I dare start 24 when it's just about to go into, what, it's 8th season??????

Now I'm off to go read for a bit. I have a few days off from work and I FINALLY got my copy of Ava Gray's "Skin Game", which I've been whining about for days on Twitter. Now that it's in my hot little hands, I plan on spending some quality time with Reyes. So off I go.....

What have you been up to lately?

Labels: ramblings

I've been reading a lot, which is quite a good thing. Finished the first 2 of Roxanne St. Claire's Bullet Catcher books, read Opal Carew's Secret Ties which really wasn't all that bad but not all that super hot either. BDSM lite, which I didn't mind, but it could have been so much steamier. It just didn't get my hormones raging, which is the sole reason I bought the book. Yes, I admit that I do read some books just for the dirty parts. Just wish this one would have delivered. And in other reading news, I'm now reading Kylie Brant's Waking Nightmare, and it's pretty good. Not quite as absorbing as Leslie Parrish's books, but I'm liking this one a lot. Hope to have more to report on Kylie in the next few weeks.

For my birthday, one of my friends took me out to lunch and to see "The Hangover", which I'd heard nothing but great things about. I was so looking forward to a raunchy, inappropriate movie, and this was definitely that. But that's all it was. Where the hell was the funny? I think either I had out-of-this-world high expectations or they tried way too hard here. Even the teenaged boys sitting in front of us thought it sucked.

Still watching Gilmore Girls. Halfway through season 6. I've got about 80 DVDs in my Q to get through before I feel ready to replenish. So many tv shows, so little time........

How've you been?

What's going on in your world?

Labels: ramblings